What happens if the mother does not know who the biological father is or does not know where he is?

The Potential Father Notice may be served by publication (i.e. published in the newspaper) but only after diligent efforts to locate him have been made to serve him in person. A diligent effort means actively trying to find the father by following up on all leads. The notice, including his name and the mother’s, is published once a week for four consecutive weeks. His thirty days within which he must complete a paternity action starts after the fourth and last publication. If the mother does not know the father’s name then the publication names him as John Doe.